Oil well drilling unit



1 YosT OIL WELL DRILLIHG UNIT Filed May l, 1941 July 11, 1944.

0 l 5 4 5 5. 4 7 VWO 0 ATTRNEV afm@ Patented AJuly 11, 1944 01h WELL DRlLLlNG UNIT LloydYost, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor tov-A. 0.

Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of New York A pplication'May 1,

d 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an oil well drilling unit of the type employing a. mud-` turbine at the bottom of the well for rotating the drill.

The lpresent invention is related to the followlng co-pending applications by the same inventor: Ball thrust bearing for well drilling units,

collar for drills, Serial No. 391,334, filed May 1,

1941; Radial ballbearings,v Serial No. 391,339, led Mayl, 1941; and also to an application Serial No. 391,338, filed May 1, 1941, by G. D. Dilley, for Turbine driven well drilling units and assigned to a common assignee herewith.` It y utilizes and combines certain of the more detailed features of .theinventions set forth in said applicationsas well as'other features to provide a unit which is more economical to manufacture and service and which is more practical.A y

. The principal object of the invention is to providea unit in which the parts most subject towear are more easily assembled and disassembled v for repair and replacement purposes. Y.

A' morespecic object is to provide a unit of the type referred to in which the mainv radial and thrust bearings for the turbine shaft are grouped into-a separable unit at the lower end of .the turbine and between the turbine 'and the embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a. side elevation` of the `unitin a well;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the upper end of the turbine; and

Fig'. 3 is a similar section through the lower end of the turbine and bearings.

The unit comprises, in general, a drill i, drill shaft 2, coupling 3 containing the main bearings. and turbine I, The turbinel is suspended in the well 5 by drill tubing 6 through whichmud is pumped from the topY of the well for driving the turbine. The turbine l comprises a tubular housing l'l and |a central rotary shaft I. Suitable` stator guides 9 are secured to the housing l'l and rotor runners Ill to the shaft l to provide the required torque from the motive uid. Each guide 9 carries a radial bearing i| for the shaft I. -The vspecific construction Aof the stato" and vrotorand of the turbine assembly is set forth in co-pending applications, Serial No. 391,336, filed May 1, '1941, and sensi No. 391,331, med May 1, 1941, by the present inventor.

The'upper end of shaft d bearings. asshowninFig.2 andtheupperend l is free from main y '55 inspecting or repairing the main bearings. itis 1941, sen-mno. 391,333

(ci. s55-4) j f of the housing 1 1s threaded' ana also 'preferably welded to a nipple. i2 to which the drill tubing 8 is threaded. y

comprises tubular casing members I2 :and Il having their adjacent ends weld'ed to a thrust ring i5. 'I'he member Il has its upper endv threaded to a locking ring II which lis welded to the lower endV of the turbine housing 1.- The threaded Joint is left vhand where the rotor shaft 8 turns clockwise so that turning of the shaft transmits forces through the bearings which tend v v to tighten the threads. 'I'he lower end voi' member Il may have threaded thereto a retaining collar i1 which forms the subject above referred to.

The shaft 2 is threaded to a locking. member Il by a right hand thread so thatthe threads which the member il is secured. The lower end of the drillA i.

' Between casings Iland I4 and shaft 2 are respectively a downward 4ball thrust bearing I9 and anupward ball thrust bearing 2li 'separated' by the thrust ring Il which constitutes an abutment for each of the thrust bearings; A radial ball bearingl 2l below the thrust bearing. 2li is` also housed within the casing Il. Any suitable 3o thrust bearings mayv be employed. The thrust bearings i9 and 2n illustrated, constitute the vsubject of application, Serial No.v 391,335, above re- Y ferred to.

4 T he coupling 3 is constructed to provide ready removal of thebearings from its opposite ends yfor repair purposes. For 'the purpose of. un-

threading the shaft 2 from the member Il at the end of shaft I, the ringi isnprovided with one or more threaded openings 22 which are normally closed by-plugs 23. When it is desired to unthread the bearing coupling 3 from turbine 4, the plugs are removed and threaded ."pins 2| are linserted extending into recesses 25 .inthe member I8. This prevents turning of the member Il relative to the ring' II and by unthreading shaft 2 lfrom member il the shaft may be removed with bearings 20 and 2l. The retaining collar II should be unthreaded from casing Il at the same time. Access to bearing il may then be 5o had by unscrewing casing il from ring I6. y i The invention provides all of the main bearings for the unit in a coupling member between bearings at each stage ofthe turbine. When The coupling s is co-anui with-the shaft!" and tighten as lthe shaft 2 is rotated by shaft l to` of shaft 2 is threaded to receive the threaded end the turbine and the drill with auxiliary radial` not necessary, as heretofore, to disassemble entire turbine. between the turbine and the drill, the turbine is protected from shocks'from the drill.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the claim.

The invention is claimed as follows:

In an oil well drilling unit, a drill, a turbine for driving said drill and having a cylindrical housing with spaced stator guides therein, a shaft disposed axially of the housing with spaced rotor runners thereon intermediate said stator guides, arbearing casing removably secured to the lower end of said housing, an upward and a. downward thrust bearing insaid casing, a hearing shaft the disposed axially of saidcasing and removably 1 .Patent No.. 2,555,55ii.

By placing the main bearingsl with said end constituting an' abutment for said downward thrust bearing. said bearing Shaft hav- CERTIFICATE or oiisEcmIoN.

ing a shoulder at its lower end constituting said abutment for an upward thrust bearing and' being secured to said drill, a permanently fixed abutment extendingradially inwardly from said bearing casing centrally thereof and intermediate said thrust lbearings to receive the thrust therefromJ and a radial bearing in said casing for said bearing shaft, said bearing shaft being removable downwardly through lsaid casing and said bearings being removable through the respective ends of said casing.

' LLOYD YOST,

July '11, 19141;, LLOYD Yosr.

It is hereby certified that error appears inthe printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring. correction asiiollows: .Page 2, second column, lines` L; 5,- ior the words "said abutment for an'l read -e'an abutment fior said; and thatthe saidvLetters Patent Vshould bevread with l'this correction therein that the same may conform to the record'of the casein the Patent Office. l I l Signed and sealed this 5th day of' September,

(Seal) Leslie Frazer Acting Gommissione'rpf Patents.`

not necessary, as heretofore, to disassemble entire turbine. between the turbine and the drill, the turbine is protected from shocks'from the drill.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the claim.

The invention is claimed as follows:

In an oil well drilling unit, a drill, a turbine for driving said drill and having a cylindrical housing with spaced stator guides therein, a shaft disposed axially of the housing with spaced rotor runners thereon intermediate said stator guides, arbearing casing removably secured to the lower end of said housing, an upward and a. downward thrust bearing insaid casing, a hearing shaft the disposed axially of saidcasing and removably 1 .Patent No.. 2,555,55ii.

By placing the main bearingsl with said end constituting an' abutment for said downward thrust bearing. said bearing Shaft hav- CERTIFICATE or oiisEcmIoN.

ing a shoulder at its lower end constituting said abutment for an upward thrust bearing and' being secured to said drill, a permanently fixed abutment extendingradially inwardly from said bearing casing centrally thereof and intermediate said thrust lbearings to receive the thrust therefromJ and a radial bearing in said casing for said bearing shaft, said bearing shaft being removable downwardly through lsaid casing and said bearings being removable through the respective ends of said casing.

' LLOYD YOST,

July '11, 19141;, LLOYD Yosr.

It is hereby certified that error appears inthe printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring. correction asiiollows: .Page 2, second column, lines` L; 5,- ior the words "said abutment for an'l read -e'an abutment fior said; and thatthe saidvLetters Patent Vshould bevread with l'this correction therein that the same may conform to the record'of the casein the Patent Office. l I l Signed and sealed this 5th day of' September,

(Seal) Leslie Frazer Acting Gommissione'rpf Patents.` 

